Case Study HBO Max
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Client
Project
Generating buzz with a dynamic digital marketing campaign for HBO Max’s first exclusive movie, Charm City Kings.
Disciplines Used
THE BACKGROUND
In May 2020, HBO launched their subscription streaming service, HBO Max, featuring its classic programming, as well as exclusive original content. Amassing over 28 million subscribers by September 2020, the media titan released its first movie exclusive to the platform, Charm City Kings (featuring rapper Meek Mill), in October of the same year.
With their in-house team fully preoccupied and time running out, HBO Max/19th and Park challenged the team at CXR Agency to rapidly develop a creative social media campaign for the movie.
THE BACKGROUND
CHALLENGES
- Timing — As the campaign was not set to begin until after the movie release, the marketing strategy needed to maintain relevancy and prolonged digital engagement. Given the tight timeframe and high-stakes, the CXR Agency team had to complete the work in two weeks to keep the momentum going.
- Open-ended — The double-edged sword of “creative freedom” meant that the CXR Agency team could take the lead on development, but it also meant allotting time for conceptualizing elements that could go in many directions.
- Starting from scratch — With scant material from which to draw inspiration, the team had to develop a campaign that was both compelling for a wide range of audiences and in-line with the film’s broader marketing plan.
CHALLENGES
THE SOLUTION
CXR Agency delivered 20 static and dynamic social media assets, an AR face filter for Instagram/Facebook, a name generator, and a portal for a writing contest. The campaign combined the best of traditional digital marketing campaigns with the excitement of newer technology to reach a wider audience and sustain interest for as long as possible.
THE SOLUTION
FEATURES + PROCESS
Social assets
A mix of animated and still assets for social media gave HBO plenty of content to share on social platforms – boosting digital engagement around the movie.
Name generator + face filter
HBO trusted the team at CXR Agency to craft every aspect of the name generator, from the backend development to the list of possible names. Paired with an AR face filter that allowed users to overlay their new name, the generator provided a fun element that could go viral – especially among younger audiences.
Writing contest
In line with the plot of the movie (no spoilers – promise!), CXR Agency also produced a portal for submitting entries to a writing contest. Young filmmakers and storytellers could submit short stories detailing a summer that changed their life, entering them to win various cash prizes, as well as a mentorship with the movie’s director.
With engagement expected to peak both in the run-up to the deadline and with the announcement of the winning piece, the contest served as the perfect vehicle for sustained momentum.
FEATURES + PROCESS
FEATURES + PROCESS
RESULTS
Since going live, the campaign has continually driven engagement across platforms, and even engaged a few high-profile stakeholders, including Snoop Dog, Will Smith, and Meek Mill.
